LGBT lessons stopped amid parent protests

LGBT lessons stopped amid parent protests

Parkfield Community School in Birmingham which has suspended lessons about diversity and LGBT issues. Photo: Richard Vernalls/PA

LGBT lessons have been suspended at a primary school in Birmingham following weekly protests from parents.

Parkfield Community School in the West Midlands said its ‘No Outsiders’ programme, which uses story books to teach about same-sex couples, will no longer be taught until a resolution is found.

It comes after parents took part in a series of demonstrations outside the school, where most pupils are Muslim, as they argued the children are too young to learn about same-sex relationships. Some families withdrew their children from the school this month in protest against the lessons.

The British schools watchdog Ofsted concluded the LGBT lessons were age-appropriate, but talks between parents, education chiefs and the academy trust which runs the school led to the announcement the lessons would be suspended.

Last week, Birmingham City Council warned protesting parents risked attracting “extreme fringe movements” that could fuel hate and division as it called for families and the school to “come together”.